Camel Archers

[Jagger]

I am looking at starting an Almohed game. I noticed they have the camel archer troops available. Yet in the few battles against camel units, I have noticed they are very slow. Just how is the best way to use slow horse skirmishers? I would think they would be very vulnerable to light horse.

Also do they get any exhaustion benefit when fighting in the desert?

[Bullethead]

Yup, camel units are slower than horses. Thus, I find it best NOT to use them off by themselves on the flanks where they are most likely to run into enemy light horse that can run them down. Instead, put them behind your grunts like you would other archers. This way, you can keep them safer and they can shift laterally to add fire support to key parts of the grunt line more rapidly than foot archers. OTOH, desert archers are faster than regular archers so the camel's don't have that much of an advantage. However, maybe being mounted they can see over troops in front so don't have the blind fire penalty foot archers normally get when employed in the 2nd line. Don't know about this.

Camel archers don't have armor so desert heat doesn't affect them. However, camel units get penalized when fighting in temperate and lush areas. Thus, they're best left at home when you invade Europe.

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-Bullethead

In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is strength, in water there is bacteria

[Jagger]

Thanks Bullethead. I will try that with the camel troops.

I had my first couple of battles against the Spanish. I have these short range Mauritarian (?) infantry armed with javelins. I think they probably need to be used in the same way.

My first opportunity to use them was a disaster. The Spanish led with a massive cavalry charge directly into my line. The Mauritarians ran before they could use their javelins. I think they are going to be most useful against slow, armored infantry.

[longjohn2]

Camel Archers aren't vulnerable to light horse if you take them out of skirmish mode. Horses don't like camels, so camel units get big bonuses fighting horse units.

[tootee]

LJ2, is that a morale penalty on the horses or attack bonus for the camels? Thanks for the info.

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tootee the goldfish,
headmaster of Shogun-Academy (http://shogun-academy.tripod.com)
loyal roach of Clan S.G. (http://thesilvergazwa.tripod.com)
'Pa Si Buay Chao! Si Liao Ka Song!'
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[Dawood]

If you play the almohads my adivse is, leave the camels, they aren't very good. I say, recruit A LOT of medium infrantry, such as Nubian Spearmen, Almohad Urban Militia and Muwahid Infrantry. The Muwahids you throw at anything on a horse or camel, use the Militia against the lighty armored troops such as peasants, spearmen, and use the nubians as a all-out troops, the Nubians come in groups of 100 so they are very usable for storming castles and braking lines of hardy enemies quickly.
Then, desert archers, 4 or 5 units, group them and rain death upon anyone who dares venture close. When they are filled of arrows, charge them with the nubians.
Nubians and Militia is a very powerful compination I have also discovered... yeah, and kill all prisoners... http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/biggrin.gif
I have discovered that my enemies have this habit to flee as soon as their first unit comes in contact with my units... could have something to do with the fact that all my general have the standing order Take No Prisoners!

[FasT]

Quote Originally posted by longjohn2:
Camel Archers aren't vulnerable to light horse if you take them out of skirmish mode. Horses don't like camels, so camel units get big bonuses fighting horse units.[/QUOTE]
What sort of bonus do u call big?

[tootee]

+10 to melee for camel?
-10 to melee for horse?

http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/biggrin.gif

I think the camel's bad-breath turn off the horses and make them wanna runaway from the battlefield.

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tootee the goldfish,
headmaster of Shogun-Academy (http://shogun-academy.tripod.com)
loyal roach of Clan S.G. (http://thesilvergazwa.tripod.com)
'Pa Si Buay Chao! Si Liao Ka Song!'
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[Kraxis]

Well, then it should be a morale penalty.

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You may not care about war, but war cares about you!